HEALTH INSURANCE AND STUDENTS: What’s all the fuss about?

In recent years, news headlines have reflected the ongoing changes in healthcare and related health insurance. Do Wheaton College students need to be informed about these changes? Answer: yes!

Do you know?Wheaton College has a health insurance requirement for all degree seeking students and special students taking 9 or more credits.

If this is you…You are required to have certain health insurance coverage while you are a student at Wheaton College. It is mandatory that your health insurance covers emergency and non-emergency services within four hours of Wheaton. If you are injured or become ill, receiving the healthcare that you need near campus will help you to stay at school. Insurance plans restricted to coverage in your home state outside of Illinois are not adequate, and may cause you to leave school, because your plan does not cover services such as follow up visits, mental health counseling, and physical therapy nearby.

In addition…if you are an intercollegiate athlete the only way to be covered by the supplementary athletic policy during your sport season is to have coverage for primary care in the Wheaton, Illinois area.

Is there a way to know if my current plan is sufficient?

Yes, completing and submitting an online waiver annually is the ONLY way to determine if your current coverage meets the requirements set forth by Wheaton College. If your coverage does not meet the requirements your waiver will not be approved and you will be required to be covered by the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP.)

Tip: Monitor your student account for the billing of the premium and a credit after the waiver is submitted.

How it works…The billing process is automatic. Your program of study, or number of hours, triggers the automatic billing of the seven month premium to your student account. There will be a designated period of time, called OpenEnrollment that you can submit a waiver to receive a credit, or submit your name for enrollment to the insurance company. Once the deadline passes open enrollment is over. Anyone who has not submitted a waiver will remain automatically billed and enrolled.

The Student Health Insurance Plan is underwritten by Companion Life Insurance Company and meets the insurance requirements set forth by Wheaton College. To read about Wheaton College insurance coverage requirements please review the Health Insurance Requirements.